Dhubri and Bangladesh
Dhubri, the westernmost district HQ of Assam, is in the news due to the wrong reasons. It is slowly and alarmingly turning out to be mini-Bangladesh, as evidenced by the activities that took place during the last Eid. During and post-Eid, beef is being used as a weapon to browbeat the Hindus to vacate their premises to be occupied by one community later on. This practice was noticeably staged earlier in districts of Barpeta, Nagaon, Goalpara, and a few areas of Darrang in particular. Along with the beef, some posters demanding the merger of Dhubri with Bangladesh have also started appearing on the walls of the streets. What does it indicate? It indicates the sinister, long-standing game plan of a communal anti-national force to merge Dhubri with Bangladesh.
Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, CM of Assam, thankfully is very equal to the task. Sensing the deep-rooted conspiracy, he immediately issued a shoot at sight order to police. He was also very prompt to appoint Leena Doley, the livewire, as the new SSP of Dhubri, which has already started showing results instantly. It is high time to wipe out the pro-Bangladeshi communal elements from Dhubri once and for all.
What should hurt every bona fide Asomiya is the attitude of one Asomiya, named Akhil Gogoi, a KMSS leader and now MLA, Sivasagar, who saw the ghost of RSS and BJP in the recent developments in Dhubri. I simply pity the electors of Sivasagar, the heart of Asomiya culture and tradition, for having such a person who can stoop to be in power by hitting the street opposing the deportation of Bangladeshi infiltrators. Akhil Gogoi is following and practising Mamata Banerjee’s brand of politics to welcome and protect illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas to secure his vote bank. Jai Ai Asom.
Joel Goyari,
Tangla.
LSHP delay
A few units of the 2000 megawatt Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project (LSHP) were slated for commissioning in May but are now in a pickle as the various local bodies have raised serious concerns about the impact these units would have on the downstream areas, notably the vulnerable Majuli river island. The project is already facing time constraints, as it was expected to be completed several years ago. Due to protests and agitations, the project was stalled for several years without even a rod being bent. Now, when the project is near completion and waiting to churn out electricity, these local bodies have magically risen and started protesting without thinking about giving out alternatives that would have a comparatively lesser impact on the downstream areas to the authorities. Assam is in dire need of electricity, and it cannot afford any delay in this project. Regarding the impact these few units would have on the downstream areas, we can suggest that one of these units would run continuously, which would sufficiently lower the impact during the peak discharge. Another suggestion would be building a temporary haven for the people and animals living downstream where they can shift to during the flood season. I urge the local bodies to cooperate and think about alternatives rather than just shouting out slogans.
Noopur Baruah,
Tezpur
Ahmedabad Plane Crash: A tragedy waiting to be addressed
India has not experienced an aviation disaster in years, but that all changed on June 12, 2025. The world was shaken when Air India flight AI171, a Boeing Dreamliner, which was supposed to fly from Ahmedabad to Gatwick, crashed into a B J Medical College hostel. During this “accident”, a shocking 241 passengers were killed, and 28 people on the ground died, along with 60 injured individuals. The only survivor from this accident was a single passenger.
Not only did this incident end the dream of aviation for many people, but it also claimed the life of 169 Indians, 53 British citizens and a former chief minister of Gujarat. The remaining bystanders also met an incredibly unfortunate fate as they lost their lives in a place which was supposed to help them evolve. In an instant, countless families were shattered as they lost their near ones due to events that were completely avoidable.
As the dust begins to settle, many questions are raised. Why did the plane, one of the most sophisticated in Air India's fleet, fail so miserably during takeoff? What was the reason behind the loss of control, and could this disaster have been avoided? A thorough probe is on, being conducted by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) in association with international agencies such as Boeing, GE Aerospace, and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The black boxes have been recovered, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed detailed inspections of all Air India Dreamliners. These are important steps—but they must culminate in open observations, public accountability, and tangible change.
Tragedies of this magnitude are more than a technical assessment requirement—they force us to deal with the moral and ethical obligations of all parties involved in civil aviation. Safety, particularly in air travel, cannot be made into a tick-box exercise. The public puts their lives in trust with airlines and demands nothing but the best in maintenance, communication, and pilot training. If there was any oversight—human, mechanical, or institutional—that went into this crash, it needs to be exposed without delay or diplomatic nicety.
Concurrently, the human reaction to this disaster has been phenomenal. Emergency teams such as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Air Force, fire-fighting personnel, and medical services responded in a matter of minutes. Citizens, volunteers, and university employees worked together to rescue the wounded and console the grieving. In an era of gloom, Ahmedabad's collective spirit has radiated with colossal dignity and pity. Global leaders such as King Charles III, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have offered their condolences, emphasizing the global magnitude of this loss.
With regard to corporate and state response, Air India, presently owned by the Tata Group, has assured Rs 1 crore compensation for each victim and offered assistance to all victim families. Tata AIG, the airline's insurance company, is confronted with one of India's biggest aviation claim payouts, estimated at over Rs 2,400 crore. But this amount can never match the loss of lives or the psychological harm suffered by the survivors.
This is not just a disaster—it is an alarm. The aviation industry has to go back and reinforce everything related to safety and crisis response immediately. Governments need to spend more on urban emergency procedures, hospitals have to be ready for mass casualties, and public agencies need to work with airlines even more in collaboration. It is not an option—these things are necessary. Above all, we as a society need to take forward the teachings of this tragedy. We need to call for transparency, stand by the bereaved and foster a culture in which human life is more precious than profit, protocol or political image. Let us pay tribute to the memory of the 269 lives lost—not just with grief, but with action that has substance. At this hour of sorrow, India needs to rise—not merely in sorrow, but in determination. Let this not be a lesson we recall as merely a tragedy but as a watershed moment.
Abhilasha Mohan
Cotton University